海角大神

Airstrikes, evacuation orders, homeless refugees, besieged hospitals. The litany of war is familiar. The location is different.

Even as a fragile ceasefire enters its fourth week in the Gaza Strip, a parallel conflict is ramping up in the northern West Bank, where Israel is in the third week of an offensive that experts and residents say is employing the same tactics used in Gaza.

In its 鈥淚ron Wall鈥� campaign, Israel is targeting what it says are militants 鈥� backed by聽Iran and Hamas 鈥� based in the towns of Tulkarm and Jenin. It says the militants are behind hundreds of attacks on Israelis and Jewish settlers.

鈥淭here is no precedent for the Israeli occupation鈥檚 destruction and killing of innocent people in the West Bank,鈥� says聽the Jenin governor,聽Kamel Abu al-Rub. 鈥淲hat happened in Gaza is now happening in Jenin.鈥�

According to Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the Israeli military鈥檚 spokesperson, the militant groups, aided by guns smuggled from Iran, have been operating from within civilian buildings, including mosques, schools, and hospitals.

The result: a broad, punishing offensive that has affected every town and village north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah and displaced some聽40,000 people.

According to the Palestinian Authority (PA), several civilians are among the 70 people Israel has killed in its offensive, including 10 children and a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Majdi Mohammed/AP

An Israeli soldier aims his weapon during a military raid in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams.

As of Tuesday, Israeli military operations were ongoing in four West Bank refugee camps: Jenin, Tulkarm, Far鈥檃, and Nur Shams.

But the strikes and destruction extend to residential neighborhoods far beyond the camps, in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas, residents say.

Main roads have been torn up in the towns and water, sewage, and electricity cut, bringing economic activity and daily life to a halt.

Also destroyed: a PA security crackdown that sought to arrest the very same militants targeted by Israel. Observers and residents say the PA operation had been progressing toward a deal for the militants to surrender their arms when Israel launched its offensive.聽Some Israeli military experts maintain that not enough had been achieved.

According to local residents and officials, the thousands of people driven from their refugee camp homes are now living in temporary shelters in schools and mosques and with residents of neighboring areas who have opened their homes.

But even in these makeshift refuges, resources are dwindling.

鈥淧eople thought they were going to leave for three days, or a week at the most. But it has been two weeks and there is no sign when they can return,鈥� says Mr. Abu al-Rub, the governor. 鈥淲ith the economy being hit, even hosts are running out of food and supplies to share.鈥�

鈥淕oal is migration鈥�

As part of its campaign, Israel has erected dozens of military checkpoints across the West Bank, including gates at the entrances to towns and villages at which every聽car that goes through is checked. Israeli curfews seal off West Bank villages from dusk till dawn.

鈥淚n the West Bank, the targeting of camps is the next step鈥� following Israel's war in聽Gaza, says Palestinian political analyst Jehad Harb. 鈥淭hey want to force camp residents between two choices: to live under airstrikes or to leave 鈥� migrate to the cities, to Jordan, or further abroad.鈥�

Jacob Turcotte/Staff

鈥淚srael is systematically emptying out refugee camps, forcibly displacing people, and razing them to the ground,鈥� says Laith Hussein, an ambulance worker in Tulkarm and resident of the Nur Shams camp. 鈥淭here is a lot of fear.鈥�

鈥淭he true goal is migration from the camp,鈥� charges Mr. Abu al-Rub. 鈥淏y destroying people鈥檚 homes and livelihoods, they are pressuring these people to migrate into Jordan.鈥�

Adding to Palestinian fears that the displacement of refugees will become permanent are pledges by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz that his country's soldiers would remain in the Jenin camp after the operation ends. He declined to specify how long.

Also stoking fears among Palestinians is the support for the offensive among far-right Israeli politicians and government members who are calling聽for a wider war in the West Bank and encouraging the 鈥渧oluntary鈥� migration of Palestinians.

Majdi Mohammed/AP

Smoke rises following an explosion in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp, detonated by the Israeli army, which said it was destroying buildings used by Palestinian militants.

Damaged homes, infrastructure

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Shoshani insists that the Israeli army repairs infrastructure damaged in the offensive or helps local authorities to do so. 鈥淥ur goal remains to dismantle terrorist networks while minimizing harm to civilians,鈥� he says.

But local officials and residents report widespread destruction that goes beyond targeting militants.

In one instance last week, the Israeli army demolished 23 houses in one neighborhood in Jenin鈥檚 refugee camp using explosives. The operation cleared a path for its vehicles and tanks to better maneuver in the densely built camp 鈥� similar to a practice repeatedly employed across Gaza.

Residents say Israeli forces appear to be using bulldozers to cut the Jenin and Tulkarm camp into easily controlled segments.

Meanwhile the PA security campaign, which had surrounded the Jenin camp only a few weeks ago, is now a distant memory.

According to Palestinian officials in Jenin, the PA and camp residents were close to a deal that would have seen PA security forces withdraw in return for militants laying down their arms, in some instances turning themselves in.

鈥淲e were just about to reach an agreement when the Israelis launched their campaign, ruining everything,鈥� said one official.

Kobi Michael, former head of the Palestinian desk at Israel鈥檚 Ministry for Strategic Affairs, said the Israeli government concluded that the PA鈥檚 operation in the refugee camp 鈥渇ell short,鈥� prompting it to send in its own forces 鈥� using now familiar tactics.

鈥淲e had to go to the model of Gaza: Go inside the refugee camp, evacuate people, and bulldoze buildings in order to dismantle the infrastructure,鈥� said Dr. Michael, a visiting professor at the University of South Wales UK. 鈥淭hey say, 鈥榃e will do more Oct. 7 attacks,鈥� and we have stopped playing games.鈥�

Now the PA is watching from its offices as a bystander.

Residents in Jenin and Tulkarm accuse the authority of refusing to assist beleaguered residents or to offer guidance in the face of the Israeli military offensive on their towns.

鈥淭he authority is missing in action, silent,鈥� says Mr. Hussein, the Nur Shams camp resident. 鈥淭here is a war, and we are left on our own.鈥�